I love American history, so I was excited to have the opportunity to review this new Early American History Unit Study from Kristie Mobley.
Written in the Charlotte Mason style, centered heavily around quality fiction books and copywork, there are some great activities connected with the study as well. The length of time intended for the study is loose so that you can fit your children’s attention spans and interests. Because the study is so loosely structured, you can arrange the sequence of activities to fit your family – which is a major bonus in my book.
The unit studies the Christian beginnings of the United States with the Pilgrim settlements. Their lives, beliefs, and struggles are examined closely. In today’s rocky political climate, I think it’s more important than ever that we know this history.
The study includes great links. Many are to printable coloring sheets that illustrate that day’s lesson. While there are more than we would use, these would be great for children to color while you read – or to children to make into their own books as a final project for this unit. Others are to more primary resources where you can learn additional information or see great pictures to illustrate new concepts.
The study focuses primarily on history, handwriting, and faith-based concepts, but music, religious freedom, and economics also come into play. Great discussions could be had on these topics with the thought-provoking questions included in the lesson plans.
The study comes recommended for children in first through fourth grades. I think kids in the upper end of that range might enjoy some additional reading or writing activities. The unit also does not include any creative writing. With this time period being one of my favorite to teach thus far, I’ve spent a lot of time here, and there are loads of fun creative writing activities that could be included. Perhaps that’s not very Mason-like, but our children do need to learn to write their own thoughts as well as copy others. This could be easily added to the study, however. (Want to see some of our Pilgrim study activities? You can read about them: Life as a Pilgrim: Cooking (Part One), Life as a Pilgrim: Everyday Life (Part Two), Life as a Pilgrim: Fun & Games (Part Three).)
If you’ve been wanting to try a literature-based unit study, this is a great one to give a test run. The planning has been done for you, the activities are meaningful but simple, and it includes great discussion questions. Best of all, it’s on sale for a few more days for only $3.95 when you use the coupon code ‘History.’ Read more or purchase a copy here.
* I received a free copy of this unit study from Kristie Mobley of Family Home and Health in exchange for an honest review.
